Compression...Did I Just Discover A Favorite Type?

[BLDavis]

Likewise. We all (maybe) know what Threshold, Attack, Release and Ratio mean. In the factual, literal sense. We know what each knob actually does, individually. I do. I want that control. I really do. I get what it is and I WANT it.
But I suck at IMPLEMENTING it, live, which is where I live. I suspect that this level of control is best left at FOH, the studio or, in the hands of players beyond my level and they certainly exist. If I have all of those functions I twiddle endlessly, instead of playing the tunes. So automate, please. And they have.
So, yeah. Gimme a 'bass compressor' with between two and three knobs. And we're already there so, cool. IMO/IME

This is exactly why I like the Diamond comp. A compression knob to tighten things up a bit, a tone knob to add a little zing and a level knob to keep things even or add a little boost, if needed. Other than that, it's either on or off. There are many more versatile units that would certainly be great for FOH or studio, but I leave that to the engineers.
B.

 

[JimmyM]

This is exactly why I like the Diamond comp. A compression knob to tighten things up a bit, a tone knob to add a little zing and a level knob to keep things even or add a little boost, if needed. Other than that, it's either on or off. There are many more versatile units that would certainly be great for FOH or studio, but I leave that to the engineers.
B.

True, but even some of that fancy studio grade stuff is butt simple. LA-2A certainly is. But the Manley and Fairchild look like something you'd see at NASA!

 

[HoochfromP]

The LBA OP-2 comp seems like the kind of comp you're after, even if it's discontinued at the moment. I use it at the end of the board, gently raising levels and fattening tone. The signal passes through a 12AU7 tube, resulting in a very natural parallel-compressing. Plus it's idiot proof - i am when it comes to fine-tuning a compressor. If it's not on the board, i'll miss it. I do not slap or whatever, but it gives me consistent and balanced string-to-string tone.

 

[JimmyM]

The LBA OP-2 comp seems like the kind of comp you're after, even if it's discontinued at the moment. I use it at the end of the board, gently raising levels and fattening tone. The signal passes through a 12AU7 tube, resulting in a very natural parallel-compressing. Plus it's idiot proof - i am when it comes to fine-tuning a compressor. If it's not on the board, i'll miss it. I do not slap or whatever, but it gives me consistent and balanced string-to-string tone.

Heard a lot of good things about that one.

 

[Matty Koff]

I've honestly not tried anything other than valve compression on my board. Never felt a need to replace the Markbass Compressore and its kind of a trap. Although there might be a less expensive power brick out there these days with an isolated 12v 600mA supply.. years later the sting from the purchase of an expensive brick is non-existant, and it's nice having it for my big ol' board, but had I known to look for power ratings in the past I might not have went with the Markbass pedal to begin with. Other than having to tighten a nut securing the grounding ring around the footswitch though, the pedal has been good to me.

I only use it to enhance my clean tone. I feel adds clarity to my presence in the mix and adds definition to the space surrounding notes.. like say playing staccato. It's always on for clean signal. I might turn it off for some of the new crazy noises on my board, being at the start of my chain.. I really should try it at the end of my chain but I'm kind of anal about making sure my effects are at an appropriate volume level to avoid causing anyone to themselves when I turn them on.

 

[JimmyM]

I've honestly not tried anything other than valve compression on my board. Never felt a need to replace the Markbass Compressore and its kind of a trap. Although there might be a less expensive power brick out there these days with an isolated 12v 600mA supply.. years later the sting from the purchase of an expensive brick is non-existant, and it's nice having it for my big ol' board, but had I known to look for power ratings in the past I might not have went with the Markbass pedal to begin with. Other than having to tighten a nut securing the grounding ring around the footswitch though, the pedal has been good to me.

I only use it to enhance my clean tone. I feel adds clarity to my presence in the mix and adds definition to the space surrounding notes.. like say playing staccato. It's always on for clean signal. I might turn it off for some of the new crazy noises on my board, being at the start of my chain.. I really should try it at the end of my chain but I'm kind of anal about making sure my effects are at an appropriate volume level to avoid causing anyone to themselves when I turn them on.

I can see that. I used to do it the hard way myself. Had a couple accidents here and there but by and large it went fairly smooth. Compressore is at a good price for a tube comp.

You know what never occurred to me till just this second? Trying the PF-50T as a compressor. I've avoided it like the plague over the years, but the gain control could easily do compression. I think that may be tonight's late laundry night experiment...comparing it to the Opto Comp.

 

[JimmyM]

OK, trying the PF-50T out for compression was my experiment for the evening, and it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Couldn't detect any compression in the gain circuit till it started overdriving, so that's out. Love overdrive, but I need a totally clean sound, too. On the bright side, I'm on the last load of laundry and I got my 76 P body painted again for my 3rd attempt at a distressed finish. The first two were way too carried away, but this one's going to tone it down a lot and be a lot more black.

 

[Matty Koff]

OK, trying the PF-50T out for compression was my experiment for the evening, and it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Couldn't detect any compression in the gain circuit till it started overdriving, so that's out. Love overdrive, but I need a totally clean sound, too. On the bright side, I'm on the last load of laundry and I got my 76 P body painted again for my 3rd attempt at a distressed finish. The first two were way too carried away, but this one's going to tone it down a lot and be a lot more black.

That poor bass. Just kidding lol. like I said I'd play it. Reminds me.. I caught up with a friend recently and she had a Splattercaster hanging on her guitar stand that belonged to a friend of hers.. I wanted to take that thing home it was gorgeous. I wouldn't mind getting an inexpensive bass body that might take a fender or warmoth neck and get a little crazy with the finish.

 

[David Jayne]

OK, trying the PF-50T out for compression was my experiment for the evening, and it didn't go as well as I'd hoped. Couldn't detect any compression in the gain circuit till it started overdriving, so that's out. Love overdrive, but I need a totally clean sound, too. On the bright side, I'm on the last load of laundry and I got my 76 P body painted again for my 3rd attempt at a distressed finish. The first two were way too carried away, but this one's going to tone it down a lot and be a lot more black.

Was gonna say I didn't expect that to work. The way the tube is implemented in a tube compressor is different.

 

[iTzPrime]

Jimmy, just because you say it doesn't make it true.
I have a friend who has been an Ampeg endorser for many years and insures me that endorsers are not privy to company financial or manufacturing decisions.

Ampeg basically made 3 series of amps with approx. 15 amplifier models.
Of these 15 amps, many shared the same basic architecture. I think it would be fair to say that less than 4 of these models ever had reliability problems that would be considered greater than their competitors (7 Pro, and PF 500 are the only ones I remember).

Yamaha Music did approx. $274.5 billion in net sales according to page 8 of their 2018 annual report.
They bought Ampeg nearly 8 months ago.
I doubt that the former Ampeg division of Loud is holding up new models or even vague announcements to the public for anything Yamaha music related.

It would seem that Mackie was the biggest attraction to Yamaha considering that they go head to head as competitors in the $500 - $1K audio mixer range and Mackie has far greater sales in the under $500 mixer category. Mackie also opens the door to a much greater consumer segment of the audio market.

“Simplifying the LOUD business so that the Mackie brand, in particular, could be free from the constraints of a complex organization was always a cornerstone of our thesis for the LOUD acquisition,” added Ty Schultz, Managing Partner at Transom Capital Group.

I just hope that Ampeg comes back as the company we once all loved and doesn't go the way of SWR, GB, etc., or resold again.

As Jimmy already said, Yamaha didn't buy Mackie.

Also please note, that japanese companies work completely different from american ones. A lot of them have business plans that are longer than a century.
A year is no time especially not after buying a company. After this year, yamaha will evaluate all the models and feedbacks. Then the next year they will release prototypes to their endorsers and than maybe we get something in 2021.
I rather wait than to get a subpar product.

 

[vvvmmm]

So, opto-compressors: Can anyone speak re the Meek?

 

[JimmyM]

Was gonna say I didn't expect that to work. The way the tube is implemented in a tube compressor is different.

Ya, it would seem so.

 

[bongomania]

Was gonna say I didn't expect that to work. The way the tube is implemented in a tube compressor is different.

Unless I missed something, he was comparing an opto comp with a tube amplifier, not a tube compressor. Yes a tube amplifier compresses (mostly audible or noticeable while overdriven, as he said), but a tube compressor is another set of things.

 

[bongomania]

So, opto-compressors: Can anyone speak re the Meek?

If you mean the FloorQ, here's my old review: Joemeek FloorQ
Meek made a bunch of different models, both in their "old days" and their more recent production.

 

[JimmyM]

Unless I missed something, he was comparing an opto comp with a tube amplifier, not a tube compressor. Yes a tube amplifier compresses (mostly audible or noticeable while overdriven, as he said), but a tube compressor is another set of things.

I thought maybe there would be room in the gain knob between some light compression and noticeable distortion a la SVT-CL. Not the case with the PF-50T. As soon as the compression starts, so does dirt. Beautiful tube tone for sure, but it's clean with no compression or it's dirt.

 

[vvvmmm]

If you mean the FloorQ, here's my old review: Joemeek FloorQ
Meek made a bunch of different models, both in their "old days" and their more recent production.

I have 4 rack mounts (C2, MC1, and pre+comps: VC3Q, VC1Q) and really love 'em.

I reckon I'll pull that trigger ...

 

[JimmyM]

Learned a valuable lesson tonight...when ABing a compressor vs your clean sound, don't set the comp volume the same as your peak volume when you dig in as hard as possible. Set it to where you normally play or just slightly above it, or else it may be way louder. On the bright side, now I have an idea of how much it's really compressing, and it was kind of a lot when it gets right down to it. Going to probably back off it some on tonight's gig.

 

[vvvmmm]

If you mean the FloorQ, here's my old review: Joemeek FloorQ
Meek made a bunch of different models, both in their "old days" and their more recent production.

Just rec'd it today, and your review is spot-on (can't speak to the comparisons). I tried it with a voltage doubler (true tone) and feel it's mebbe just a touch "cleaner" at 18v. I'm thinkin' this is going on the live board, replacing or mebbe along with my current fave, Mr. Squishy (toadworks).

Is it weird to use two compressors on a live board?

 

[David Jayne]

Learned a valuable lesson tonight...when ABing a compressor vs your clean sound, don't set the comp volume the same as your peak volume when you dig in as hard as possible. Set it to where you normally play or just slightly above it, or else it may be way louder. On the bright side, now I have an idea of how much it's really compressing, and it was kind of a lot when it gets right down to it. Going to probably back off it some on tonight's gig.

I think you and I are kinda on the same page. P bass, used rounds(I change mine maybe 40-50 gigs in and then I hate them until Easter) and so we go for generally pleasant but thick sound that just works for the music but punches if we want... Comp for me, yeah but just barely, just sightly doing it's thing. For me it 'moderns-up' my sound a bit without killing it.

 

[JimmyM]

On the bright side, now I have an idea of how much it's really compressing, and it was kind of a lot when it gets right down to it. Going to probably back off it some on tonight's gig.

And that's what I did with the Opto Comp. Set the compression to where it lit the green indicator light only when I dug in hard, which was approx 8:00, set the release knob to slightly past noon to where the release wasn't instantaneous but fairly quick. Still sounded to me like it was compressing when it wasn't lit, but gave me a bit more room to breathe. I experimented with it a bit, but came to the conclusion that those settings suited me best. Then came the real test...turning it on and off at random. Admittedly the difference was subtle. But I could tell...I could feel the lack of compression when it wasn't on. But what was weird to me is that it took my usual unaffected tone and made the notes pop out slightly more. I would have thought just the opposite since the idea is to level the sound out, but I guess I got the release to make the attack swell up just long enough to make it pop then let it go. I really liked that. My sound without it was great. With it, it was great + 1.

Now there are some cons to using it...when I use a full board, I have so many business pedals on it that it's hard to fit the fun ones as it is, and there's no battery door so you have to unscrew the back when changing them out. I also discovered that it's a little easier for me to get my volume up over the band while soloing without it. But for that I think I'm going to add a clean boost (would have done that anyway now that my solos are starting to get decent enough for people to hear ), and since I'm currently only using one other pedal, and a rechargeable battery lasts several gigs, not such a big deal. Been enjoying a return to 9v's...when you only have 2 or 3 low draw pedals, they can last quite a long time.

But I think I've finally found a comp pedal I can get along with. Took me a while to find a subtle enough sound with it, but I think I found one now, and I still have a tiny bit of room to get more subtle if need be. So while no pedal is ever safe from my mighty Axe Of Doom, and compressors are by far the most vulnerable, I'm at least going to see if I can get along with it for the long haul. So here is my new battery powered blues/jazz board with Opto Comp, my usual VT Deluxe, and a pedal I haven't used for a long time...the pedal with the coolest artwork in history, the HBE Bajo Mos, ladies and germs!